1Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords , and drank wine before the thousand. 2Belshazzar , while he tasted the wine , commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem ; that the king and his lords , his wives and his concubines , might drink therefrom. 3Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem ; and the king and his lords , his wives and his concubines , drank from them. 4They drank wine , and praised the gods of gold , and of silver , of brass , of iron , of wood, and of stone. 5In the same hour came forth the fingers of a man’s hand , and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king ’s palace : and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote . 6Then the king ’s countenance was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his loins were loosed , and his knees smote one against another . 7The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans , and the soothsayers . The king spake and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing , and show me the interpretation thereof , shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck , and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom . 8Then came in all the king ’s wise men ; but they could not read the writing , nor make known to the king the interpretation . 9Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him , and his lords were perplexed . 10Now the queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house : the queen spake and said , O king , live for ever ; let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed . 11There is a man in thy kingdom , in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom , like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him ; and the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king , I say , thy father, made him master of the magicians , enchanters, Chaldeans , and soothsayers ; 12forasmuch as an excellent spirit , and knowledge , and understanding , interpreting of dreams , and showing of dark sentences, and dissolving of doubts , were found in the same Daniel , whom the king named Belteshazzar . Now let Daniel be called , and he will show the interpretation .
Daniel's Interpretation
13Then was Daniel brought in before the king . The king spake and said unto Daniel , Art thou that Daniel , who art of the children of the captivity of Judah , whom the king my father brought out of Judah ? 14I have heard of thee , that the spirit of the gods is in thee , and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in thee . 15And now the wise men , the enchanters, have been brought in before me , that they should read this writing , and make known unto me the interpretation thereof ; but they could not show the interpretation of the thing . 16But I have heard of thee , that thou canst give interpretations , and dissolve doubts : now if thou canst read the writing , and make known to me the interpretation thereof , thou shalt be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about thy neck , and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom . 17Then Daniel answered and said before the king , Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; nevertheless I will read the writing unto the king , and make known to him the interpretation . 18O thou king , the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father the kingdom , and greatness , and glory , and majesty : 19and because of the greatness that he gave him , all the peoples , nations, and languages trembled and feared before him : whom he would he slew , and whom he would he kept alive ; and whom he would he raised up , and whom he would he put down . 20But when his heart was lifted up , and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne , and they took his glory from him : 21and he was driven from the sons of men , and his heart was made like the beasts ’, and his dwelling was with the wild asses ; he was fed with grass like oxen , and his body was wet with the dew of heaven ; until he knew that the Most High God ruleth in the kingdom of men , and that he setteth up over it whomsoever he will . 22And thou his son , O Belshazzar , hast not humbled thy heart , though thou knewest all this , 23but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven ; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee , and thou and thy lords , thy wives and thy concubines , have drunk wine from them ; and thou hast praised the gods of silver and gold , of brass , iron , wood, and stone, which see not , nor hear , nor know ; and the God in whose hand thy breath is , and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified . 24Then was the part of the hand sent from before him , and this writing was inscribed. 25And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE , MENE , TEKEL , UPHARSIN . 26This is the interpretation of the thing : MENE ; God hath numbered thy kingdom , and brought it to an end . 27TEKEL ; thou art weighed in the balances , and art found wanting . 28PERES ; thy kingdom is divided , and given to the Medes and Persians . 29Then commanded Belshazzar , and they clothed Daniel with purple, and put a chain of gold about his neck , and made proclamation concerning him , that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom .
The Fall of Babylon
30In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain . 31And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.